I have been looking at and reading the series from start to finish this month. So, the article was a good read for me at the end. A couple of things:
Why does the Breath of Fire III section have this same image displayed twice?
Did you mean to use something else after this one instead?
Looking at the file name, the next image wasn't used at all.
Why does the Dragon Quarter section have the US box art for the European one?
Actually uploaded on the server; might be an oversight.Other than that, I have enjoyed IV more than III. I thought both of their stories were equally par with JRPG's. Granted, I can see how III comes off as the more mature out of both. I felt III played out like one of those spiritual trip movies, an approach that you don't see very often from the stagnant JRPG's.
My opinion with IV was that the plot is more, uh, anime. Not that I see anything wrong with that, most JRPG's to me are the same as binging on shonen manga; same ratio of plod vs. story. Equally childish and silly plot no less. I do agree the cast are much less interesting than any of the ones from the last three.
I only liked Ursula. She was a delightful stuck up bitch, I was hoping Deis was going to be like she is in I and II, bored deity who is an utter cunt. I am not fond with the Ershin shit. Shame you only get Ursula so late. She was more fun to read, than the other cast until her. I had no idea about the pants scene.
I did surmise some shit went wrong when Fou-Lu's last meeting with the emperor ends abruptly. I will have to look up this taken out beheading scene. Though the pants scene is a really silly thing to take out of the story. We only get Ursula not be a bitch when she is with Nina, and she reacts to a bunch of slugs.
It was easily the funniest part of the game for me there. After she acts all high and mighty; I LIKE BROCCOLI. She squeals when she gets a slug near her. Oh well. I also liked the "dirt," it gives the game an unique look. You get tired of all the colorful JRPG's from that time, so it was nice seeing one in grunge.
I also dug the look in Dragon Quarter, shame about the fans. It is one of those cool games that was unfairly shat on because the folks at Capcom guessed it would sell more as Breath of Fire. I do miss the oriental motif of the previous game. The first three in the series did not show much in the way of eastern looks.
I would have liked a full blown eastern game in the series, one that uses creatures and myths from the oriental lands over their usual European medieval fantasy races that we got this far. Shame about VI is / was going to be shitty online game made by those at Capcom who have not already moved on to greener pasture.
Oh yeah, Fou-Lu was one weak excuse as villain / anti hero. I was hoping you were going to fight Yuna after all the shit he gets away with in the story, but lo and behold, you see alive and well during the ending. What a load of shit. Capcom really fuck the player over sparing him. It is my biggest gripe to the plot.
They also miss a chance to give Mami's outcome a good punch. Fou-Lu did not even know what becomes of her, so he just got struck by that gun thing without knowing she is used as the bullet. Would have made nice irony to his shitty arc. They also should have let you fight that gun thing. It would have made a cool boss.
Despite all my bitching, I ranked IV above III and I in scale. I liked Dragon Quarter and II the very best. Lots of pirate folks seem to have enjoyed II, there is a lot of pirated games that has taken and stole quite a few assets in II. Can you imagine how great it would have been, if this series had done another DQ?